StarTopic Jeremy Parish's Video Works series |ST|

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video gives us the start of NES Works 1989 with games from two new NES licensees. Neither are particularly good or memorable games so this is a dull start to 1989. Hi-Tech Expressions with Rare developing with Zippo Games gives us Sesame Street 1-2-3 which was the first third-party edutainment title and the first since Donkey Kong Math. And Taxan brings over Hudson's Star Soldier to NES. Star Soldier is hopelessly outdated by 1989 standards and wasn't exactly cutting edge in 1986 either. Taxan would bring more exciting fare to NES though. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on two good sports games from Tecmo (Tecmo Baseball and Tecmo Bowl), and the other on Ultima: Exodus, the first proper role playing game on NES and one of the first RPGs on console in the West (Sega would beat it with Phantasy Star and maybe Miracle Warriors, for Master System)

Threadmark 96 - NES Works 107: Tecmo Baseball and Tecmo Bowl
Threadmark 97- NES Works 108: Ultima Exodus
Threadmark 98 - NES Works 109: WWF Wrestlemania
Threadmark 99 - NES Works 110: Q Bert and Gyruss
Threadmark 100 - Segaiden 54: Afterburner and Penguin Land
Threadmark 101 - Segaiden 55: Alien Syndrome and Aztec Adventure
Threadmark 102- Segaiden 56: Global Defense and Zaxxon 3-D
Threadmark 103 - NES Works 111: Kung Fu Heroes and Bandai Golf
Threadmark 104 - NES Works 112: Ninja Gaiden
Threadmark 105 - NES Works 113: Friday the 13th
Threadmark 106 - NES Works Gaiden 60: Konami Wai Wai World
Threadmark 107 - NES Works 114: Marble Madness and John Elway's Quarterback
Threadmark 108 - NES Works 115: Track and Field II and World Games
Threadmark 109 - NES Works 116: Mappy Land and Dance Aerobics
Threadmark 110 - NES Works 117: The Guardian Legend
Threadmark 111- NES Works 118: Fist of the North Star and Mystery Quest
Threadmark 112 - NES Works 119: Legacy of the Wizard
Threadmark 113 - NES Works 120: Adventures of Lolo
Threadmark 114 - NES Works 121: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Amagon
Threadmark 115 - NES Works 122: Predator and Taboo The Sixth Sense

 

[shoptroll]

I definitely played a fair bit of the Sesame Street game as a kid, so this is going to be interesting to watch. Not expecting a positive opinion on it

Edit: Looks like Jeremy got to visit the old Nintendo HQ that’s now a hotel!

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video gives us two sports games, both by Tecmo and both are good 8-bit sports games. Tecmo Baseball is the lesser one, not quite R.B.I. Baseball but close, and Tecmo Bowl is the best football game of 1989 and the second best football game on the NES. Tecmo has more great stuff for 1989 too. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on Ultima Exodus, and the other on WWF Wrestlemania.

 

[shoptroll]

WWF Wrestlemania.

Was this covered in a Gaiden? Or footage used in other coverage? I feel like this one was talked about previously, but I’ve been prone to Mandela Effect with this series in the past.

 

[Abzeronow]

Was this covered in a Gaiden? Or footage used in other coverage? I feel like this one was talked about previously, but I’ve been prone to Mandela Effect with this series in the past.

Maybe footage was used in other coverage. The game is from January 1989. Developed by Rare and published by Acclaim.

 

[shoptroll]

Maybe footage was used in other coverage. The game is from January 1989. Developed by Rare and published by Acclaim.

I’ll have to check the MUSCLE and Pro Wrestling vids as those seem like possible candidates alongside the earlier Rare titles covered

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video marks a NES milestone, the first proper RPG on the console in the West, Ultima Exodus, brought to us by publisher FCI aka Pony Canyon. I did actually try to play this but Dragon Warrior was basically what I could handle at 8 or 9. Phantasy Star on Master System beat that game to the West by about 3 months. The Year of the RPG begins. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on WWF Wrestlemania and the other on a pair of Konami arcade ports published by Ultra Games (which was Konami) Q Bert and Gyruss.

 

[jparish]

Was this covered in a Gaiden? Or footage used in other coverage? I feel like this one was talked about previously, but I’ve been prone to Mandela Effect with this series in the past.

Nope! First time I've covered it. As someone with negative interest in pro wrestling, I talk about the genre as rarely as possible.

 

[shoptroll]

Nope! First time I've covered it. As someone with negative interest in pro wrestling, I talk about the genre as rarely as possible.

Ok! I really need to figure out why I keep thinking you’ve covered stuff you actually haven’t

Great to see you in this thread finally!

 

[Abzeronow]

It's linked in the original post in this thread but I'll just state that https://www.patreon.com/gamespite/ is definitely worth it if you can contribute. Patrons get videos two weeks early, there are currently Patron-exclusive videos on the Epoch Cassette Vision, the Super Cassette Vision and the Gakken TV Boy. There are also Patron-exclusive extras like VHS rips of Famimaga videos from 1988-1989. Definitely worth it if the 8-bit era interests you. (I also recommend Kevin Bunch who does a similar thing with the Atari 2600 and other consoles of the pre-Crash era)

 

[Deleted member 2258]

I know this thread is more focused on the Video Works series, but I wanted to give a shout-out to last week's Retronauts Episode 557: What's So Great About Video Game History, Anyway?

The question is posed to a slew of video game history buffs at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. Very good stuff. Inspiring.

It makes me want to ask the follow-up question: How can I contribute to the field of video game history?

 

[Abzeronow]

What you gonna do when this week's public video of WWF Wrestlemania runs wild on you, brother? (Unfortunately the Hulkamania sticks around even when you loathe the human being that is Hulk Hogan) Anyway, this game, published by Acclaim and developed by Rare, is not good. It has bad controls and Pro Wrestling is a better game than this. Patrons get two more videos, one on Q Bert and Gyruss for NES, the other is Segaiden 1988 starting with After Burner and Penguin Land, both good games.

 

[jparish]

It makes me want to ask the follow-up question: How can I contribute to the field of video game history?

Write or record commentary about games no one else has taken the time to document! Read around and dig up interesting tidbits from old publications at places like newspapers.com and Internet Archive! If you have the funds to do it, track down old media and get it preserved! Contribute material to organizations like VGHF or just individual creators who are on your wavelength! There are so many ways to help record history, you can really take your pick.

 

[Deleted member 2258]

Write or record commentary about games no one else has taken the time to document! Read around and dig up interesting tidbits from old publications at places like newspapers.com and Internet Archive! If you have the funds to do it, track down old media and get it preserved! Contribute material to organizations like VGHF or just individual creators who are on your wavelength! There are so many ways to help record history, you can really take your pick.

The wheels are turning... I appreciate the response!

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video takes us back to the early 1980s with not one but two arcade conversations by Konami in their Ultra Games disguise. Q Bert is familiar but frustrating since home consoles didn't exactly have a comparable control scheme. Gyruss got more care in the port but also has frustrating control issues. Patrons get two Segaiden episodes, both in 1988 with one on After Burner and Penguin Land, the other on Alien Syndrome and Aztec Adventure. It appears that Friday the 13th for NES is this year's Halloween entry (the game is not bad for a licensed game or an LJN published game).

 

[Abzeronow]

Jeremy's second video on the Epoch Cassette Vision has gone public. Discusses Galaxian (not the Namco game) and Big Sports 12 (not affiliated with the NCAA)

 

[Abzeronow]

1988 opens with a bang on the Master System in this week's public video. Afterburner on Master System is like NES's Top Gun with harder dogfighting but no difficult carrier landing sequences. Penguin Land is a follow up to a SG-1000, and the only game in the Penguin series that the US got. Both are good games. Patrons get two more Segaiden episodes, one on Alien Syndrome and Aztec Adventure and the other on Global Defense and Zaxxon 3-D (both games essentially stuck in the 1980s). Patrons also got a Patron-exclusive video on three more Gakken TV Boy games, two that take cues from Kaboom! and Robotron 2084 respectively, and one that is a licensed port of Konami's Super Cobra.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video is on the Master System port of the arcade game Alien Syndrome which winds up being different from the arcade version and Aztec Adventure which just winds up as another game that just doesn't wind up working. Patrons also got another video on Global Defense and Zaxxon 3-D and some other video that is coming later today.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video shows us two Master System games that are stuck in the 1980s in terms of culture (Global Defense/S.T.I.) and technology (Zaxxon 3-D). Jeremy mentions that Sega is in the midst of a transition in 1988 as Japan would see the 16-bit successor to the Master System: the Mega Drive late in the year. Patrons get two NES Works 1989 episodes: one on Kung Fu Heroes (a bad game) and Bandai Golf: Pebble Beach Challenge (a golf game, it does the job) and the other on Ninja Gaiden, a NES classic and a highlight of Winter 1989.

 

[Abzeronow]

NES Works returns with this week's public video which has Culture Brain's NES debut, Kung Fu Heroes, which is a bad game which also rips off Super Mario Brothers sound effects, and also there's Bandai Golf: Pebble Beach Challenge, which gets the job done. It's not that different from other golf games, but it does feature the Pebble Beach course which gives it a unique hook I guess. NES Works appears to continue on until April 1989. Patrons get two NES Works episodes, one on Ninja Gaiden, a classic, and the other dropped on Friday the 13th fittingly enough, and that would be the ambitious failure that is Friday the 13th for NES. Patrons also received an exclusive video on the last of the Gakken TV Boy games.

 

[shoptroll]

Pebble Beach was also notable for having a side-on view of the course which I always thought made it a little bit different than some of the contemporaries like Golf and Fighting Golf

don’t look at me like that, my grandfather enjoyed golf so I had access to like three different golf sims growing up

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video gives us the first of 1989's heavy hitters on the NES: Ninja Gaiden. It elevated cut scenes as part of video gaming, and showed that Tecmo was one of the top-tier NES third parties. This is a difficult game, but also one that has a certain flow that pushes you to play it fast. I loved this game as a kid, and it still mostly holds up (the final level checkpointing is bad though). Patrons get two more videos, one on Friday the 13th, an ambitious but very flawed game, and the other is a NES Gaiden video on Konami Wai Wai World, which is a little rough but a good antecedent of their later parody games.

 

[Abzeronow]

Jeremy's third video on the Epoch Cassette Vision is now public. With Battle Vader, New Baseball, and Pak Pak Monster.

 

[Suiseiseki]

While I like the Epoch series, I'm still waiting for the grand return of Game Boy World (Works).

 

[Mer.Saloon]

I kinda felt Gameboy was meandering after a point. Not helped by the fact Jeremy was doing 1 per episode for the longest time of mediocre puzzle games.

 

[jparish]

Isn't there a big Game Boy anniversary in about six months? Hmm.

 

[Abzeronow]

Halloween brings us a special one, as this week's public video is Friday the 13th, Atlus's ambitious horror game that failed. This game gets a lot of hate, the LJN label contributes to that, but I'd take this over Dragon Power or Karate Kid any day of the week. Patrons also got a NES Works Gaiden video on Konami Wai Wai World and will get another video at regular time tomorrow.

 

[shoptroll]

I still kick myself sometimes for choosing Friday the 13th over Adventures of Lolo when they were presented as purchase options as a kid. However, I know I bounced off Lolo when I demoed it at the 1990 PowerFest/NWC because I was too young to really understand soukobon type games.

EDIT: The back half of that video was great!

 

[Mer.Saloon]

FT13 seems at least admirable for its ambition.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video fills the annual Castlevania slot with Konami Wai Wai World, an odd Famicom game from 1988 that brings together Konami heroes as well as Dr. Cinnamon of the Twinbee series. Simon Belmont, Goemon and Mikey from the Goonies as well as King Kong team up. Patrons also got a NES Works video on Marble Madness and John Elway's Quarterback and we're probably getting another NES Works video on a pair of mediocre to passable sports games this weekend.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video shows us two arcade ports from British game devs Rare. Marble Madness is a port of an Atari arcade game, and it definitely highlights Rare's loves as a dev: isometric perspective and tunes from David Wise. Shame that NES didn't have a trackball. John Elway's Quarterback is a port of the Leland arcade game Quarterback. It's a middling sports game with no player or league license, it's worse than Tecmo Bowl and better than NFL Football. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on the duo of sports games that is Track and Field II (which does appear to be a March 1989 game) and World Games, the other on Mappy Land and Dance Aerobics, two very 1980s games.

 

[Abzeronow]

Since we've gotten to April 1989, I'll post a list of upcoming games for NES up until June 1989:

April 1989:
Adventures of Lolo-Episode 120
Amagon- Episode 121
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -Episode 121
Fist of the North Star-Episode 118
Legacy of the Wizard - Episode 119
Mappy-Land - Episode 116
Mystery Quest - Episode 118
Predator -Eisode 122
Taboo: The Sixth Sense - Episode 122
The Guardian Legend -Episode 117

May 1989:
Operation Wolf - Episode 123
Tetris (unlicensed Tengen version)- NES Works Gaiden 61.

June 1989:
Airwolf - Episode 123
California Games - Episode 130
Desert Commander - Episode 130
Guerilla War - Episode 132
Hoops - Episode 126
Hydlide - Episode 124
Mega Man 2 - Episode 127
Monster Party - Episode 125
Nobunaga's Ambition
Shooting Range - Episode 126
Street Cop - Episode 125
Super Dodgeball - Episode 128
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Episode 131
The Adventures of Bayou Billy - Episode 129

 

[Abzeronow]

Jeremy's fourth and penultimate video on the Cassette Vision is now public. With Monster Mansion and Astro Command.

 

[Suiseiseki]

Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde soon? Now that is hype.

 

[Abzeronow]

We get a double dose of Olympics style games on this week's public video with Konami's Track and Field II (which March 1989 date seems to track. Fandom has a June 1989 date. Wikipedia says March 1989 sourcing Computer Entertainer) and Milton Bradley's World Games which is a port of the Epyx computer game. Both have events with control schemes that are difficult to figure out, and Track and Field II essentially requires a turbo button for some events. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on Mappy Land and Dance Aerobics, the other on The Guardian Legend, a sleeper hit from Compile.

 

[Porygon-Z]

Seeing how two different companies approached making games to piggyback off of Olympics hype was really interesting.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video has two games that haven't particularly aged well from the 1980s, they're good games though. Mappy Land, a Namco game published by Taxan has Mappy do the Mario. Dance Aerobics is a Power Pad game, and so is tied to a peripheral that is stuck in the 1980s. Patrons get two NES Works episodes, one on The Guardian Legend, one of the bangers of 1989 from Compile and Broderbund and the other on Fist of the North Star and Mystery Quest, two uninteresting bad games from publisher Taxan.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video is on The Guardian Legend, a hybrid of shooter and action rpg from developer Compile (who should be well known to Works series regulars) and publisher Broderbund. This was a sleeper hit as Jeremy explains. Patrons also got two more NES Works episodes, one on the pair of mediocre games from publisher Taxan, Fist of the North Star and Mystery Quest, the other on Legacy of the Wizard, which is the fourth in Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer series. It's a proper Action RPG (tunes by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro). Patrons also got an exclusive video on the Super Cassette Vision games Comic Circus and Milky Princess. Jeremy also got mentioned in the Hbomberguy guy video as one of the people that were plagiarized by Filip Miucin.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week is an unusual week. Jeremy releases an early video that isn't early access for Patrons. It's a look at the Analogue Duo, and it serves as a preview for Turbo Works, which will start mid-2024. Yes, 1989 is a huge year in gaming.

 

[Suiseiseki]

Over/Under chance that Jeremy Parish completes just one of these? Virtual Boy Works is a miracle.

 

[shoptroll]

This week is an unusual week. Jeremy releases an early video that isn't early access for Patrons. It's a look at the Analogue Duo, and it serves as a preview for Turbo Works, which will start mid-2024. Yes, 1989 is a huge year in gaming.

I’ve been hoping that Hudson’s little system would get the Works treatment so this is awesome to see

Over/Under chance that Jeremy Parish completes just one of these? Virtual Boy Works is a miracle.

Epoch should be doable I think too. He was able to plow through the first system but I don’t remember how many games exist for Super Epoch.

 

[Abzeronow]

I’ve been hoping that Hudson’s little system would get the Works treatment so this is awesome to see


Epoch should be doable I think too. He was able to plow through the first system but I don’t remember how many games exist for Super Epoch.

Definitely looking forward to Turbo Works and whatever he calls the look at the PC Engine standouts.

Super Cassette Vision appears to have around 30 games. Definitely doable.

 

[Porygon-Z]

Over/Under chance that Jeremy Parish completes just one of these? Virtual Boy Works is a miracle.

At this point, maybe like 10%. We'd probably be able to get a better figure with some actuarial tables and a health exam for him.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video gives us two mediocre games published by Taxan, one is Fist of the North Star which was Hokuto no Ken 2 on the Famicom by kusoge champion Bear's and Shouei System. Black Belt is still the better game. The other Taxan release is Mystery Quest, which plays like a worse Milon's Secret Castle. Patrons get two standalone NES episodes on good games, one on Legacy of the Wizard, the other on the Adventures of Lolo. More bad games on the horizon though (maybe Jekyll and Hyde in Episode 121?)

 

[Abzeronow]

Jeremy's final video on the Epoch Cassette Vision. Monster Block and Elevator Panic.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video is the NES version of Dragon Slayer IV, the game Legacy of the Wizard, which may have been developed by Nihon Falcom. This was the second game in Nintendo Power's "What Is An RPG" feature and the game is part of the Switch game Namco Museum Archives. It is definitely a fascinating NES game. Patrons get two more NES Works episodes, one on the Adventures of Lolo, a good puzzle game from HAL, and the other on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Amagon, two bad games about men who transform.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video is The Adventures of Lolo, which was a puzzle game from HAL and a pretty good one too. Patrons also got two more NES Works episodes, one on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Amagon and the other on Predator and Taboo: The Sixth Sense.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video is two bad games that feature men who transform. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a mess and AVGN has covered much on that. Amagon is cruel but some people apparently like it. Patrons get two more videos, one on Predator and Taboo The Sixth Sense, neither are good but both are interesting though, and the other video is a NES Works Gaiden video on Tengen's first unlicensed NES game, Tetris.

 

[Abzeronow]

Jeremy's first video on the Gakken TV Boy is now public. With Excite Invader.

 

[Abzeronow]

This week's public video finishes off April 1989 on NES with two interesting but not particularly good games with Pack-In Video's Predator, which is ambitious and uses a neat technological trick for Big Mode, and Rare and Tradewest give us Taboo The Sixth Sense which is the first non-game on the NES, a tarot card program. Patrons get two more videos, a NES Works Gaiden video on Tengen's Tetris and a NES Works video on two action games, Airwolf and Operation Wolf. Bonus discussion on the Vietnam war and its effect on 1980s movies and cartoons.